Madison - Wisconsin's notoriously weak drunken driving penalties might get a bit tougher. A hearing is today before the Assembly's Judiciary Committee. It could be taken up by the full Assembly this fall or next year. One bill makes third and fourth offense drunken driving offenses felonies. Another would increase the penalty for injuring someone in a drunken driving accident, raising the minimum jail sentence from 30 days to six months.
The third measure requires at least a 10-year prison sentence for anyone who kills another person while driving drunk. Current law has no minimum prison sentence in those cases.All three bills are sponsored by Republican Representative Jim Ott, of Mequon.(Copyright 2013 Associated Press - All Rights Reserved)